Cold Kiss
by CadenceMassacre
Summary: A moment between Merle and Beth, inspired by Amberian Dawn's song, Cold Kiss. Originally a one-shot but is now expanding.
1. Curiousity Kills the Cat

**AN: My first Merle/Beth fic, inspired by Amberian Dawn's song Cold Kiss. Enjoy and please review!**

He was the kind of man Papas loathed and Mamas warned their little girls to stay away from. He was an addict, a dealer, a convict, a racist. Never mind the fact that he walked around with a knife in lieu of his right hand. Everyone said it, he himself confirmed it via both acta and verba: Merle Dixon was dangerous. All eyes were always on him, watching and monitoring closely, as though waiting for something to set him off in a spiral of betrayal. They gave beady gazes, monitoring him, expecting the worst, expecting him to be the monster they all felt him to be.

One particular set of sapphire orbs looked onward as well. However, instead of locking onto Merle's form with suspicion, they gazed into his grey eyes with intrigue.

_Far away is the dawn from your eyes, only darkness  
... only darkness I see in your eyes._

Growing up in a small town where folks all knew each other and the church was the center of activity it was safe to say that Beth Greene was quite sheltered from the likes of Merle Dixon: fiery, wild, unpredictable… untamable. She would have liked to say that it was simply that, his strong, hot-headed personality that captivated her attention, but it would be a flat out lie. Sure, the things he spewed out of his mouth turned heads and his attitude could infuriate, but that was hardly what drew her to him. No, Beth was more interested in what lay beneath what she knew was no more than his mask for the world.

_Fearlessly I'm leaning on you in the shadows, in your world.  
And there you find me, my mind is open for your mind.  
Meet the night!_

The others saw him in daylight, when he'd either be looking around for a "vacation" or hollering out his unwanted opinions. They didn't see the man Beth did. They didn't see the man who could quote philosophy, remember verses with precision, or the man who spoke the truth without the mercy of bullshit and sugar-coating. They saw a man with no value, while Beth saw a man who simply saw no value in himself. Merle wasn't the monster, merely a victim of evil vices that plagued the world.

At night, when it was quiet and those off duty were resting or asleep, she would watch him. Usually it'd be from a distance, depending on where he was keeping watch. Sometimes though, on rare and, to her, special occasions it'd be up close, when he'd be in his bunk and she'd be able to pass by back and forth without drawing too much attention to herself. Tonight was supposed to be one of those nights, one of those nights where she'd be able to see first hand into Merle's mind, beneath his mask. Or at least, it was supposed to be. She caught a snippet of conversation between the Dixon brothers when she carried Judith over to Rick's bunk. Apparently it'd be Merle doing watch tonight, leaving him up at the tower, not mere feet away.

A pang of disappointment coursed through her at the news. As she started to head back to her cell, Merle was out, heading over to the tower for watch duty. Blue eyes alternated back and forth between Merle's exiting for and his now-empty cell. For a moment she stood in silence, contemplating before heading on forward. Instead of entering her cell, however, she followed the trail Merle took.

_Loving your lifeless soul is all to easy.  
Still in your lifeless heart there is some beating!  
Love your living soul is just too easy.  
The power of love beats death, come and join eternity.  
Cold kiss_

Merle Dixon could be called a lot of things. Bastard? Yep. Motherfucker? Sure, why not? Asshole? Most definitely. But one thing Merle could never ever be called was a fool. Yes, he may hold some beliefs disputed and contrasting to others, but by no means was Merle an idiot. Despite being worthless, abusive drunks, Merle could give his parents credit for having raised no fool. He knew full well that he was being watched long and hard. What he didn't anticipate, however, was that it was the old man's youngest daughter that held the greatest gaze.

Beth Greene…

Merle had never been very good with names, often preferring to use his own nicknames for people, such as 'China Man', 'Officer Friendly', and such, but Beth? That was a name that stood out to him the moment he arrived. Hell, truthfully the girl herself stood out to him. In a place drenched with somber grey walls and steel cages her presence brought a special light to it all. With her long blonde hair and bright blue eyes she was a rose among thorns. Admittedly, she was a jailbait rose to his thorn, but a rose nonetheless.

_Show me how is the world from your eyes 'cause I'm envious  
... 'cause I'm envious of your afterlife._

He could feel her watching him, late at night when the others were either on patrol or sleeping. She thought she was able to go about unnoticed. She didn't realize that Merle was just as much of a tracker as Daryl and could tell right off the bat when he was the prey wouldn't be hunted. No, Merle was very much aware of her little "visits". Truth be told, he actually looked forward to them. He couldn't describe how it made him feel, exactly. All he could say was that it was… refreshing, to have someone look at him with something other than disgust and hate.

It was his turn to keep watch tonight. Well, technically it was Daryl's turn but Merle had offered to take his night shift in exchange for a few of Daryl's cigarettes. It was a quiet night with no sound other than the hissing of the Walkers and Merle allowed himself a time to relax under the stars, cooled by the Georgia breeze. He lit up a cigarette, inhaling slowly. He wasn't much of a smoker, being a crystal man, but he would take what he could get. He was about halfway done with the cigarette when the familiar sensation washed over him. Although he kept his back to the door, he smiled his wolfish grin. "Watchin' ole Merle again, Goldilocks?"

_Just one kiss will release me from life - I know you want it too, I feel you do  
You know I'm longing, you know I want to take you to live with the moon  
_

Beth froze in her position near the doorway. Despite it being a sin she swore internally at the situation she found herself. Although she had taken a brave foot forward in following Merle here, it wasn't exactly in her plan to get caught. She had pictured herself just looking in on him, watching him briefly for a moment as she normally did before heading off to bed. Nothing in her imagination took into account the prospect of getting caught. Briefly, she considered running from the situation, but quickly dismissed the thought. This was Merle, after all. He'd be on her faster than she could say 'Georgia'. "H-How'd you know it was me?" she asked softly, determined to keep the waver out of her voice as she stepped closer towards him.

He chuckled, though whether it was at her words or the shaking in her voice neither could say for sure. "You know how all y'all go an' gush about how skilled a tracker Daryl is? Hmmph. Who tha' hell do ya think taught him all that shit?" He inhaled the remnants of his cigarette before tossing it out, keeping his gaze upon her. She was gorgeous amongst the dreariest of places, but was even moreso when bathed in starlight. Had it not been a cigarette that he was inhaling, Merle could've sworn he was hallucinating a vision of an angel.

He stepped closer to her slowly, smirking inwardly at how her breath quickened. For the briefest of moments he hesitated before tossing reason and logic out the window and going with his instincts. It had never failed him before, though, admittedly, this time his instincts came hand in hand with hints of desire. With gentleness many wouldn't think Merle was even capable of imagining, Merle trailed his hand alongside her face, tracing the contours of her jawline, mesmerized by the softness. "I ain't one to crank out clichés but curiosity killed the cat, darlin'.'"

Beth stood in paralyzed awe. So many emotions coursed through her, leaving her unable to react. She was having a hard enough time reminding herself to breathe. Who would've thought Merle Dixon, the self-acclaimed Asshole of Georgia, could be so gentle? Sweet, almost. And,by the looks of his hard, muscled chest straining against his shirt so… _sexy_? Forcing herself to take a breath, she calmed herself enough to be able to reply with a small smile, "But the cat died thrilled. Right?"

He paused in his ministrations, ceasing his touch. He stared intently into her eyes in silence, long and hard. For a moment, Beth wondered if she had said the wrong thing and was about to say something when Merle beat her to the punch. Without saying anything else, the hand upon her face moved to the back of her neck as Merle drew her in, crushing her lips to his.

Her gasp disappeared into his mouth, her shock at his gesture eventually yielding as she returned the kiss, giving as much as she received from the man entwined with her. It was only when the need for air made itself known that the two separated, panting. She continued staring at the man before her in shock, her heart racing within her chest and her mind going ablaze with both thought and conscience.

"You tell me, sugah bean. You tell me." Merle softly whispered in reply to her question, a flicker of both a smile and a smirk upon his features as he took in the sight of the breathless beauty before him. Without waiting for an answer, he gave her a last caress before pulling away to return to his post, "Good night, sugah bean. Sweet dreams."

An icy chill that had nothing to do with the night air swept Beth as she felt Merle part from her. Without realizing it, her hand had found its way towards her mouth, her fingers gently touching the tingle that now lingered upon her lips. It took a while for it to all to truly sink it all in, but once it did nothing could stop the wide smile that overcame her. She thanked God that Merle had returned to his post and now had his back to her, else he'd see her grinning like an idiot. "G-Good night, Merle." She whispered in reply before turning to leave, an extra bounce in her step.

As he heard her footsteps fade away Merle sighed, glancing up at the sky. "Lord have mercy…" he breathed out into the silence of the night air, his mind ablaze with thoughts of the beautiful blonde who stole more than just his attention tonight.

_Loving your lifeless soul is all to easy.  
Still in your lifeless heart there is some beating  
Love your living soul is just too easy.  
The power of love beats death, come and join eternity.  
Cold kiss!_


	2. Boys Will Be Boys

**AN: Hey all, so this story was originally meant to just be a playful one-shot brought on by a song, but the reviews and feedback have been totally awesome so I've looked it over and jotted down some ideas to flesh it out a little more and turn it into something more. This chapter is just a short little bit involving Daryl and Merle and how I'd picture how their interaction would have been back in the day before all the tension of the apocalypse really tinged it. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks so much for the reviews!**

Chapter 2: Boys Will Be Boys

The sun was slowly rising by the time Merle's watch was drawing to a close. As per their agreement, Daryl would soon be up to take on the next round so Merle could get some shut-eye. He leaned against the walls of the tower, his arms folded against his chest with his eyes locked on the grounds. It had been a quiet night with little to report other than the usual batch of wandering walkers; leaving him time to reflect on what happened between him and the Farmer's daughter. Like how soft she was and how sweet she tasted…

He hadn't intended for it to go so far. Hell, truth be told he figured it would've spooked her, having him touch her like that. But it hadn't… if anything it kept her clinging and wanting more. _More Merle_, he laughed inwardly. _Ain't that a first? Someone wantin more o'me._ But she had. Shit, she leaned into his touch, even relaxed to it, practically begging for more. He forced himself not to think about what would have happened had he indulged in what her body seemed to be asking him for. It wouldn't do to be walking around with a hard-on today, especially since it was his turn to go on a supply run with Rick. Last thing he needed was Officer Friendly to start flattering himself with theories on why Merle seemed to be hot and bothered on the road.

Still though, it was a tempting thought…

Here she was, a little Virgin Mary, so innocent that even a casual touch on her face got her going red as a beet, all flushed and blushed. Everything would be brand new to her. He'd be the master and she'd be his prized pupil; so precious that no one would touch her but him. He could see it now: she'd be scared at first, nervous at what was to come, but still wanting it, more than anything. She wouldn't know what exactly it was she'd be wanting, but oh, he'd show her. Nice and slow, he'd touch her: her long, soft neck, those sweet little tits, that nice rounded ass…

He'd show her and teach her all those things til she was putty in his hands and begging, begging for more. And then he'd do it, give it all to her: what her body wanted but her mind was so naiive on. He'd be nice and slow at first, of course. It was her first time, after all. He'd go easy and slow, making sure she felt every last inch of him and then, when she was really ready and crying and begging for more, oh he'd give it to her. He'd pound her, hard, driving into her again and again, leaving her writhing under him and clawing at his back in ecstasy.

He'd make her see Heaven without stepping foot in a church or opening that little bible of hers.

Merle was just about to envision his own arrival into Kingdom Come when the door opened. Sure enough, Daryl had arrived with a canteen of coffee and granola bars in hand. His timing was perfect as always. _Shit_, Merle thought to himself, thinking of times in their past when he got cock-blocked somehow or another by his baby brother. _Little brother always was a lil killjoy. Asshole…_

"Times up, bro. Ya can head on out now, if ya want. Ricks feedin the lil ass kicker but he'll be ready to head out in a few." Daryl tossed his brother a few granola bars for breakfast, noticing the obvious bulge in his brother's pants. He shook his head, smirking, his mind flickering back to flashbacks in their former lives as single men leaving out in their own, enjoying the bachelor life and all the perks and dilemmas that accompanied it. "Need a minute, bro? Or I guess in your case thirty seconds?"

A shot to the gut was his reply. It wasn't a typical solid-steel Merle shot, but rather a softer one he reserved for his brother: one to hurt like hell and maybe leave a mark, but no real damage. Although he sunk to the ground from the impact, he couldn't help but snicker in reply. "Hey, just sayin' be careful, now. With that damn blade of yers ya might accidentally slice off yer dick, turn yerself into a pussy."

A kick followed the shot to the gut, leaving Daryl writhing but laughing.

"Fucken prick. Yer getting to be real mouthy, baby brother. Ya better watch yerself 'fore I really beat down on ya." Merle warned. Despite himself though, he couldn't help smile inwardly. This is how it should've been, how its always been: just the two brothers amongst themselves. He wouldn't say it out loud and didn't even want to say it in his own head, but he missed this interaction between them and what they had before all shit hit the world and Daryl ended up pussing his way into this damn group; A group that even got his baby brother to look at him with disgust.

"Hmmph. I ain't the one strollin around with a fucken hard on, am I?" Daryl scoffed, still snickering. He inched his way off the ground to stand up and handed the coffee canteen to Merle.

Merle took the canteen, opening it and taking a long swig of the sweet juice of caffeine. He looked at his brother long and hard before giving him a sly smirk, shrugging. "What can I say, baby brother? I'm a real man, got me some needs to be fixin'." He patted himself cockily for emphasis.

Daryl rolled his eyes, taking the canteen so he could get a sip. "Yeah, well like I said, ye better keep it in your pants. There ain't no lil 'Lobo Lounge' where ya can jus stroll right in, have a drink, and pick a pussy like ya used to. Yer on yer own so ya better jus get used to yer damn left hand, ya hear?"

Merle shrugged, taking the canteen back for his turn. "Relax Darlene, don't get yer panties all knotted up. Might shut down whats left of yer dick. Ya forget where we are? Ain't like I got a barrel of pickins over here. Whatta ya afraids gonna happen?" He asked it in his usual cocky –no pun intended- manner, complete with scoffs and snickers, but there was a real reason behind it: Daryl was no fool either. He wasn't as smart as Merle, in Merle's self-proclaimed-unbiased opinion, but he wasn't an idiot. No, Daryl was just slow, Merle thought, so he wanted a marker, to see if his brother had any inkling or sensed something was up. Considering how whipped Officer Friendly had his baby brother, if Daryl knew what was up it probably wouldn't be long til everyone knew and it'd be kill-joy before joy even came.

Daryl was silent for a moment, watching Merle carefully in that long, hard look of his. Inwardly, Merle tensed and returned his gaze with one of his own. He thought for a moment that Daryl really did have a clue til his baby brother finally answered. "Coming into my cell and seeing my big bro dickless. Ain't like you can jus' snap a bandaid on it." He replied with a shrug, shooting a smirk that he learned firsthand from Merle. "Now gimme back my canteen. This ain't no Starbucks, get yer own!"

Slowly, Merle smiled his wolfish grin. Just for the sake of messing with his kid brother, he opened the canteen and took a long gulp, nice and slow, draining it up. The coffee was fresh when Daryl got it and it was burning the hell out of Merle's throat as he chugged but he didn't care. The pissed off look on Darlene's face just made it all the hell worth it. Smirking, he threw the now empty canteen back to his brother, patting him on the back. "There ya are, Darlene. Enjoy."

Daryl scowled in reply, a spitting image to Merle of the little kid he'd have at his side back in the day who pouted at being told he was too little to use his big brother's heavy bow. "Asshole." Daryl spat out, shaking his head against his brother's snickers.

"Happy watchin, baby brother." He opened the door of the tower, heading inside. As he entered, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair down the stairs, sitting at a table having breakfast. He smiled, adding to himself. "I know will…" before heading down the stairs in his typical Merle swagger, emphasized with extra cockiness just for the sake of show and attention from a pair of blue eyes.


	3. Acta Non Verba

**Hey guys, just wanted to drop an extra line and say thanks so much for the pms and reviews! Suggestions and comments are very much appreciated and every single one has helped me shape up the direction and ideas for this fic, so lots of love and thanks to you all! =)**

**~Cadence**

Sleepless nights were not an uncommon occurrence when it came to Beth. Ever since the farm was overrun with walkers and they had all been on the run she had learned to sleep lightly, with one eye open. Although the shelter of the prison had helped ease her fears at first, the threat of the Governor brought her back to square one. Last night she had spent the remaining hours before dawn laying on her bed, wide awake. This time, however, it wasn't the fear of what was outside these walls that kept her awake, but rather the allure of what was inside of these walls that kept her awake, tossing and turning. She had stopped focusing on what could have happened and instead looked into what did happen.

All she could think about was Merle Dixon. Even now as she sat alone in the table area playing with her untouched oatmeal he was still in her head. Over and over again she replayed the nights events in her mind: the way he looked in the moonlight, the gentle touch from his calloused hand, that kiss... If Merle had been a mystery before he was a million-pieced puzzle now. Some pieces were easy, for those were the ones the others claimed as deemed to be the whole of Merle: 'cruel', 'mean', 'harsh', 'evil', 'volatile'. Then there were the smaller ones, the trickier ones to find: 'brother', 'loyal', 'protective', all of which were parts she was sure Darryl saw and the piece she herself saw last night, though she couldn't say for sure what exactly it was just yet. She could only hope she'd see that part of him again, long enough to try and figure out what it was she saw.

The loud snap of clacking boots yanked Beth out of her reverie. It wasn't too big of a trip though, for the man on her mind was now here, standing before her.

"A penny for 'em?" the familiar slow drawl called out, accompanied by the steps of the stairs. Beth glanced up in time to see that half-smile half-smirk play upon Merle's face, bringing back the flutters within her from the night before.

"H-Hi," she breathed out softly, a small smile playing on her face.

He strode over casually and took a seat across from her. He said nothing for a while, allowing silence to infiltrate and heighten the tension. There were questions on his mind regarding her and her thoughts, but if there was one thing Merle had learned in his long life it was that observance was everything. People could talk all they wanted, yapping about anything and everything and it wouldn't mean shit. Behavior, however, was different. It wasn't something that was as easily manipulated and altered the way words were. And his thoughts were backed up. If he recalled correctly there was some Latin quote or another that he'd seen in the Woodbury library that showed he was right: Acta non Verba.

And so, he plead the fifth, choosing to just sit back and relax, enjoying the view of the pretty little lady in front of him.

She blushed under his intentionally-obvious gaze, shifting slightly in bashfulness. Looking for the ease of a sprinkle of conversation she offered a topic to launch. "So, I heard you were going on a run with Rick today."

He nodded slowly in reply, not taking his eyes off her. Mentally he was retracing all the perfect little features his hand had grazed mere hours before. Occasionally, however, his gaze took a detour wandering down her front. She wore a simple black tank top today that revealed a healthy flash of cleavage. _Shit girlie, give a man warnin' 'fore ya show of 'em sugah tits!_ He thought to himself.

"Ya heard right, lil lady. Headin' off soon as Officer Friendly gets hisself togetha and isn't chasin up his butterflies like 'e tends to." Despite his words, so far as Merle was concerned Rick could take his time. He was in no hurry.

Concern filled her blue doe-like eyes. "Shouldn't you get some sleep first? You just got back from patrol."

Had it been someone else who suggested he nap, Merle would've likely kicked that sucker's ass for insinuating he couldn't take care of himself and needed sleep as though he were an old geezer of sorts. There was a part of him at the surface that wanted to snap back, to tell off this girl, and call her out for insulting him. His eyes had narrowed, his back had tightened and his mouth was already forming a rampage of slurs… but all curses died on his tongue before they were released when realization dawned on him.

She was worried. Worried for _him._ This girl was worried for Merle Dixon. Merle. Fucking. Dixon.

The concern for him he saw in her caught him momentarily off guard. Aside from maybe Darryl he hadn't seen that before… He didn't know what would have been perhaps the proper way to react, so he went about it in the way that felt best to him; the 'Merle way'. He shrugged it off with a snorted laugh, shaking his head. "Shit, girlie. Ole Merle ain't _that_ old. Don't ya worry yer lil blonde self. I'm up 'n at 'em." He added a wink for an extra kick, smirking at how the simple gesture brought an added hint of pink to her pale skin. To his surprise though, she replied to this challenge, catching him off-guard once more.

"You drank Daryl's coffee, huh?" She asked with a knowing sort of look upon her. It was the smile Merle recognized and was soon realizing was one she had for him returned to his face.

He blinked at her in returned surprise, glancing at her up and down in a 'what the hell' manner. "Damn girl, ya got eyes that can see through walls or somethin?"

The expression on his face brought out a wave of light laughter as she shook her head. "You forget, I'm the younger sibling too. I know all about the tricks older one's pull. I saw Daryl heading up there with breakfast and figured you would have pulled something like that." Beth was aware of how he was glancing at her and she could only imagine what he must be thinking at this point, but she wasn't ready to give in just yet, not when she still had nerve in her. She kept a poker face intact and met him on, look for look.

Dark eyebrows rose in surprise. Merle's hand rose up to scratch his week-old beard thoughtfully, observing the girl in front of him. "Is that right?" She had spunk, Merle had to give her that. Maybe she wasn't the fragile little thing everyone seemed to treat her like. He knew off the bat just by looking at that curvaceous figure of hers that very much a woman. A young woman, to be sure, but a woman nonetheless. Now as he spoke to her he was realizing his observations were being validated. Maybe she really wasn't a naïve little girl after all.

"Hmmph, well look at that. Guess all 'em study sessions of yers are payin off. Gettin ole Merle all figured out ain't'cha?" he asked

She flushed a deeper red at that, causing him to let out that long southern drawl of a chuckle. The deep boom of it eased slowly over her, encompassing her form like dripping honey. "…Not as much as I'd like to..." she admitted quietly, daring to let her blue eyes meet his as she leaned forward, inching ever so slowly towards him.

Merle kept his poker face on for the most part but deep inside his heart was racing and that familiar thrill he recognized from his skirt-chasing days was washing over him. Not entirely aware of it, he was starting to lean in a little closer to her too. So close that he could smell hints of her shampoo: the faint sweet scent of strawberries getting stronger and more prominent as he leaned closer and closer, so close to her strawberry colored lips…

"Excuse me." a voice called out, breaking the spell. Carol had entered at some point and was now staring at them both, Judith in her arms. "Rick is looking for you, Merle. He's about ready to get on the road now."

Remnants of the building tension lingered, though were forcibly squashed by the two for fear of arising suspicion. "Bout time!" Merle barked out in his trademark gruffness. Despite speaking to Carol, Merle kept his eyes on Beth, slowly and reluctantly pulling away to Carol's. "Where's Officer Friendly at?"

"Rick is at the courtyard. He and Glenn are waiting by the car."

"Chinaman's taggin' along?"

Carol rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Merle disapprovingly. "Yes, _Glenn_ is going too."

"He's Korean." Beth added lowly. Despite not approving of Merle's nickname, she couldn't help the hint of a smile upon her face.

Merle turned to Beth, shooting her his cocky half-smile with a shrug. "Sugah, given the way things are in this hell-hole, I'm willin' ta bet the last whiskey bottle that there ain't a China or a _Kuhreah_ left so whys it matter what the hell I call the feller? I mean, think about it-"

Before Merle could get further into his thoughts, Carol cut in again with a rapidly increasing impatience. "Okay, as riveting as this little apocalyptical geography lesson is, Merle, Rick is waiting for you. You might want to get a move on. Now."

Merle glanced back up at Carol, raising an eyebrow. He stared at her for a while, taking her in. For a moment Beth thought he'd snap back with a few of his comebacks like he normally did when other members of the group tried to shut him up only to see him shoot that same old smug look of his. "Well, well. Looks like lil Miss. Fieldmouse really has stepped up and grown a pair. That or ya took 'em from my brother. Either way, kudos ta ya." He snickered, rising from his chair. "I'll see ya lovelies later." As he turned to walk away he shot Beth a wink. To avoid suspicion, or perhaps simply for the hell of it just to infuriate her more, Merle shot Carol one as well; a long overly-acted and drawn out one before leaving the room, the clack of his boots accompanied by the rumbles of his snickers. In his wake he left behind two reddening ladies: one darkening with annoyance and the other flushing and blushing from flattery.

As typical of the Merle nature, even when he'd left it still wasn't the end of him.. His voice could be heard, loud and clear from outside. "Ya done playin' Mr. Mom, Officer Friendly?" he asked in that easy-going, casual tone of his. The effects were immediate as both the women in the cell block turned towards the noise. Despite herself, Beth couldn't help but let out a small giggle at Merle's antics, which she hastily covered with a mini round of faux coughs.

Mumbling could be heard in reply, most likely Rick's and Glenn's voices, though none could pierce through the air quite like Merle's could. "Ya, I heard. Don't make no difference to me if Chiner over here tags along, so long as he ain't drivin'. Ya know what I'm sayin'?"

More mumbling could be heard, followed by Merle's reply. "Aw, c'mon now, sonny boy. Y'know I'm jus' playin. Shit, a fellas jus' tryin to cut the damn' tension and ya get yer chopsticks all busted up. Ha! Now c'mon now, can we get a move on yet?"

Another round of mumbling continued, though eventually a starting car engine was heard, loudening and eventually fading as the car left the prison grounds, leaving

"Finally! I swear, apes have more poise!"." Carol sighed, shaking her head in annoyance. "Hard to believe he and Daryl come from the same gene pool with the way Merle acts."

"Hmm, maybe…" Beth replied thoughtfully, though she didn't seem entirely convinced by that notion. The way she saw it, Daryl and Merle were one in the same with the only differential factor being chance and opportunity."They have the same eyes though, don't they?" she asked with a smile, thinking of the Dixon shade of silver-blue.

"I wouldn't know. Merle's eyes always seem to be too narrowed in a glare for anyone to be able to tell." Carol replied with an inflection of humor in her voice. "Or I guess I should say winks, judging by that little show he put on, whatever that was supposed to mean."

She glanced up at Beth who seemed to be in a land of her own. Her sapphire eyes were glossy, glazed over by whatever thought was streaming through her mind as of that moment. What it was exactly that was going through the girl's mind was a total mystery to Carol. She wasn't one to pry into another's thoughts, so she left her curiosities to that alone. Her questions on the earlier events, however, were not afforded such luxury. She had seen Beth and Merle sitting across from each other at the table, talking. Although innocent enough on the surface, Carol's maternal instincts whispered other potential aspects of the scenario.

"Beth, sweetheart, about what I walked into…" she tentatively began.

Slowly with reluctance, Beth broke from her reverie "Hmm?"

"Earlier. You and Merle were sitting together, talking."

"Oh, yeah. What about it?" Beth asked slowly, trying to keep her tone neutral and expression as guarded as possible. She had a feeling this was going to go down the oh-so-familiar 'You're just a kid, you don't know what you're doing, we have to protect you.' routine her Dad and sister seemed to have made a farm on and she was definitely not too thrilled at the idea of Carol setting up a tent in these woods as well. "We were just sitting, getting to know each other. We weren't doing anything wrong." Despite her efforts at staying guarded, however, the slight edge on her tone went noticed by Carol.

"I know, sweetheart. I'm just… looking out for you, is all." Carol replied softly, glancing downward. Maybe she was making mountains out of ant hills, she reasoned. She really hadn't seen anything inappropriate upon walking in. Hell, she had seen Axel make more of a move on the girl and Carol hadn't reacted half as strongly to their late prison mate. Maybe she was just getting over-flamed about it.

For her part Beth had softened at Carol's reply, feeling a stab of guilt for snapping at the woman whom Beth had started to view as a mother-like figure. She knew that Carol was only looking out for her, just as she did for everyone in the group. It just got to be really frustrating when the protectiveness started to stifle. Despite what the others all might think, Beth wasn't a little girl. If her days were counted right she had been eighteen for a few weeks now and, in her opinion, she had shown to the others she wasn't a completely helpless child. "I know… And I promise. If ever there was something wrong –anything- you'd be the first person I'd go to." She smiled softly, giving the older woman a one-armed hug, mindful of the infant between them.

The two women eventually settled down and headed off together for their chores for the day, Carol to do the laundry and Beth to look after Judith. Unbeknownst to them, however, a pair of green eyes had walked in on their conversation. Maggie had witnessed the exchange between Carol and her sister and couldn't help but be suspicious as to what was going on with her baby sister…


	4. Thank You, Bambi

AN: Hey all! Sorry for the long delay! The semester's ending and exam season hit hard with a vengeance so that took up most of my focus. Luckily though that tide has ended so I can get back to this little ficlet. This chapter is a bit different from the others in that it's a memory of what occurred prior to chapter one. Although this fic follows a plot, every now and then memories of both Beth and Merle will be featured as a chapter, serving as an indication of how chapter one (and as a result the entire fic as a whole) came to be. Thank you so much for all the reviews and pms! I hope you enjoy!

~Cadence

Venison. It had been because of venison that Beth saw what others failed to see.

_She had been in the kitchens for at least an hour, fighting and battling with the stove and various ingredients. Beth would like to think she was a good cook, considering she had been doing it for as long as she could remember, but today was definitely not her highest moments. Venison, courtesy of Daryl's successful hunt earlier today, was on the menu. Anytime Daryl brought fresh meat home was a good one, especially venison considering how much more difficult hunting and lugging around a huge beast was, but Beth had to admit she hated this particular meat with a passion. No matter how hard she tried, nothing ever went well with the meat. It was always tough, flavorless and, pardon her French, utter crap._

_Vaguely, Beth wondered if perhaps this was karma for digging into Bambi._

"_Shit!" she exclaimed as she opened the pot, revealing a hardened slab of venison._

"_Well well, looks like sugah over heres got quite a mouth on her. What's the problem here, darlin'?" Merle had been at the camp for roughly a month now but had opted to keep to himself, excluding chats with his brother and the occasional chatter with Hershel. He was rarely seen, preferring to hunt or focus on outdoors work, so his appearance caught Beth by surprise, evident by the light blush that splashed her pale features. _

"_Its dinner. I can't seem to get it right." She confessed lowly._

_He smirked, an eyebrow arched at the color appearing upon her pretty little face. Casually, he leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest, observing her attempts at cooking venison. From his vantage point he could easily see her mistakes but held off on commenting for now. "What happened to the other gal? Ya know, the mousey one?"_

"_You mean Carol?"_

"_Hell if I know her name. She the one that clings all up on my baby brother?"_

_Beth blushed once more, nodding. "Yes, that would be Carol."_

"_Then ya, guess it's Carol I'm talkin' bout. Where's she at?"_

"_She's not feeling too well this evening and is resting. I offered to take care of dinner."_

_That slow, lazy grin Beth had seen only Daryl be the recipient of appeared on Merle's face. It was a half-smirk and half-smile that wasn't necessarily what one would deem friendly or handsome, but was one to be alluring and memorable. Or at least to Beth. Truthfully, just about anything Merle did or said clung to her mind. "Well ain't ya a sweet one, darlin'."_

"_I do what I can" she offered in a voice above a whisper. "I ain't a fighter like Maggie and Michonne, more like a homebody, but it seems I can't even get that right…" More flushes of color appeared on her face, though this time with shame. It was a common feeling for Beth, to feel helpless and useless due to being unable to contribute when it came to walkers. It was times like this she was more thankful than ever for having Judith. At least by caring for the infant Beth could feel a semblance of contributing to the group that had done so much for her and her family._

"_The venison givin' ya problems?"_

_Beth nodded. "I've never made it before. I just figured it was like beef so I boiled it up for some soup. Now, well… now its tough as leather." She poked at the meat for emphasis with her knife, as thought that would somehow soften it. Frustration and agitation eventually bubbled and soon enough she was stabbing at the slab of meat with ferocity._

_A hint of amusement filled Merle at the sight before him, the sight of a vision of picture-perfect serenity slowly losing control, allowing emotion to take over. The fact that it was anger leading to action only fueled his… arousal? Arousal… Was that the flicker he felt bubbling within him at the sight of the girl before him? _

"_Hey, take it easy now! Save that energy for 'em walkers!" He placed his hand upon hers, stilling her movements. The close proximity was lost on neither. Beth could feel the hardness of his muscles, the warmth of his breath against her cheek, as well as the pleasing roughness that came with a calloused hands. Meanwhile, Merle was all too aware of the softness of the skin, how her lithe and slender form gently shook with emotion, and faint lingering scent of her strawberry shower gel. "S'all right, darlin'. Ain't no need to fuss." He told her._

"_No it isn't! This is what we have for dinner,. Everyone was looking forward to fresh meat and now… now all they've got is a chunk of leather..." Sapphire orbs dropped, filling slowly with tears as the girl gave one last handful of angry stabs at the meat._

_An unfamiliar feeling of pity filled Merle at the girl before him, much like the pity one feels upon seeing a small child, lost, and crying for its mother. Although it was certainly not to say that Merle viewed the young lady before him as a weeping child. If anything the thoughts that often flickered in his mind's eye regarding her slender form were far from that pertaining to childhood and innocence. There was just something about this girl in particular that hit a soft spot in the mean old bastard known as Merle Dixon. He couldn't say for sure just yet what it was, whether it was the fact that she alone never whispered about him to the others behind his back, she alone never glared in his direction, or perhaps even that it was she who would have the thought to take him his meals whenever he was on guard duty. All he knew and could say for certain that for whatever reason there was, a soft spot lingered. "Now stop that, ya hear? Ain't no reason to cry over a damn slab o'meat. Now hand me that knife over'er." He gestured to the cooking knife and chopping board. True, he had his knife upon his stump, but even Merle had enough refinement to not use a walker-blood-spattered blade as a cooking tool. He may be a redneck but even rednecks had standards!_

"_Why? There's no poi-"_

"_I said gimme that knife." He insisted._

_Curious, she did as he asked and handed him the board and knife. She watched with curiousity as he took up the meat. He rested his hand-less wrist upon it to stabilize it and started slicing it slowly into thin shreds. "Venison is'self is a tough sonofabitch, 'specially if its baby brother who shot it." At her confused look he explained with a smirk. "When a deer gets chased it gets a shot o'adrenaline through it which toughens it up. Darlene must be slippin' since he had to chase this little asshole. If it'd a-been me I woulda gotten one blow in wi'out a fuss and it'd be as tender as a lady-friend." He threw in a wink for good measure, smirking as a blush flushed her pale features._

_He glanced around the makeshift kitchen for any ingredients to use. "What was your original plan wi'the venison?"_

"_I was planning on just boiling it out and tossing it into the soup." She replied, gesturing to the pot on the stove filled with soup out of the can spiced up with added canned ingredients._

_Eyes of steel glanced at the soup, pondering for a moment and briefly wrinkled his nose at the thought. Venison wasn't meant to be cooked in that particular manner, though he wouldn't tell her flat outright. Instead, he opted to take another route; the Dixon way with the meat. Silently, he brushed by her towards the pantry, rummaging through the ingredients before selecting some maple syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce. As he did so, Beth stared in both shock and curiosity. With life at the farm as well as her own experiences with the group on the run Beth had grown with the impression that when it came to chores and tasks some were designated for men, while others for women. Cooking happened to be one of them. Beth had never seen her Father cook and never pictured men to cook at all, let alone a man such as Merle Dixon. _

"_Wh-What are you doing?" Beth asked in surprise. His actions made it pointedly clear what he was doing but the shock of it prompted her to ask for the sake of verification._

"_Ya wanna sit'n chat or ya wanna learn how to cook up some venison?" he broke his gaze to shoot her his trademark cocky grin. He waited for her to come closer and observe. "See, the trick with venison is the sauce. Don't matter what ya got, so long as its there and can soften it up. Now ya can count yerself lucky, sugah. This here I'm showin' you is an ole' Dixon recipe. Ain't no non-Dixon tha' seen it…"_

_She said nothing throughout the lesson, opting to focus all of her attention to listening and committing it all to memory, particularly her 'teacher'. Azure orbs watched in amazement how steel-like eyes narrowed in calculation, like a scientist, while measuring ingredients, how a hand accustomed to fighting and violence demonstrated gentleness and care as the rubbed the flavorings unto the meat, and lastly, when the meat was finished, cooked upon the stove and ready for consumption, the puzzling thoughtfulness, if it could be called thoughtfulness, of a man who spent nearly an hour on a meal that would feed others, especially ones he didn't particularly like. _

_Certainly not for the first time since his arrival, nor for the first time this evening Beth Greene thought to herself how much of a paradox Merle Dixon was. _

_Taking a nearby fork, Merle stabbed a piece of the meat and held it up towards her in offering. "Bite," he urged her. She had hesitated at first, for the last time she had ever been fed in such a manner was back when she was still in diapers. Her first thought had been to take the fork from Merle and feed herself and judging by how Merle held the fork he had likely been expecting her to do the same. Thus, the only rationale thing she could do, it seemed, was to surprise the wits out of both of them and allow the older man to feed her. Keeping her eyes locked on Merle's she leaned forward, taking the meat into her mouth._

_It was an innocent enough gesture, yet the unexpectedness of it caught Merle by surprise, though he covered it well with a smirk, one that deepened upon her reaction to the taste of the meat. _

"_Oh…" she gasped in surprise. She had never been fond of game meats before but with the creation Merle had placed together she decided she ought to change things up from now on. "I-It's delicious!"_

"_Everythin' I do is, darlin'." He winked. Just for her, he did so with an extra hint of flirtation._

_Dinner that night had been a hit, the others praising the taste and tenderness of the meat. Even faces that rarely smiled in the days of late, such as Daryl and Rick managed to do so upon tasting the delicious venison. Beth had tried to give credit where credit was due, pointing Merle as the source for their delicious meal but he refused the acknowledgement, vehemently denying to have had anything to do with the meal. Thus, with his denial of participating and the others own impressions and opinions of Merle it went unknown and unheeded that it had been Merle, not Beth, who had created such a meal; one particularly memorable in the fact that it was their first fresh, hot meal in months. _

_Merle might not have minded being overlooked as the contributor, but Beth would have no such thing. If he wanted no such praise or thanks from the others then certainly, that was his right and choice but she would allow no such dismissal from her part. After all, it was she who he had gone to and helped at her time of need and the very least she could do was thank him herself and show him her appreciation. He had exited the dining area and headed down the hall on his way to his post for the night when she had followed him, trailing after him towards the staircase. "Merle!" she called out to him. _

_He turned slowly, an eyebrow raised as he waited for her approaching form. "Somethin' the matter, sugah?"_

_She caught up to him in a minute and stood in front of him, her chest heaving from the brief sprint. She blinked and hesitated for a moment, fumbling for words. "I just- see… I-I wanted- Thank you. I-I just wanted to say thank you, for everything." She eventually managed, giving him a small smile. And to the surprise of both she reached over. Her petite size and his muscular frame allowed her to only wrap her arms halfway around him, but her intentions were clear as she enveloped him into a hug. _

_He was stiff at first, unresponsive to the touch due to the sheer shock of the gesture, though gradually eased his stance, returning the touch with a pat on her back. "Ain't nuthin to it, darlin'." He replied, giving her a brief wink before strolling cockily off to his guard post for the night, leaving a blushing, but pleased, young lady behind._

Because of venison it began- Beth Green's realization of what lay beneath the steel mask of Merle Dixon. Realization and the yearning- the yearning to discover more.


End file.
